Marine veteran plans peaceful armed march in Washington on July 4

Washington
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Adam Kokesh, an Iraq War veteran and libertarian radio show host, has planned a peaceful gun march in Washington on July 4. The march is an attempt to "put the government on notice that we will not be intimidated and cower in submission to tyranny."

Kokesh is inviting his fellow Americans, who maintain armory and value the second amendment, to take part in the nonviolent July 4 march. The YouTube host of “Adam vs. the Man,” who once held a dance party at the Jefferson Memorial in 2011, is also extending his invitation to law enforcement officials and the unarmed.

The former Republican congressional candidate and supporter of Ron Paul’s run for the presidency said the march isn’t specifically aimed at D.C.’s gun laws, but the rights of individuals in general.

The protest would begin from Virginia into the District with loaded guns. The event’s Facebook page has more than 50,000 people being invited and so far has garnered nearly 3,000 confirmed attendees and more than 2,000 are listed as “maybe.” Loaded guns are not permitted in D.C. and if there is physical resistance then Kokesh and the demonstrators will turn around and leave the city.

The former Russia Today personality noted on his website that 10,000 people must RSVP their intention to take part because at least 1,000 people have to be physically present in order for the march to proceed.

“This is an act of civil disobedience, not a permitted event. We will march with rifles loaded & slung across our backs to put the government on notice that we will not be intimidated & cower in submission to tyranny,” Kokesh describes the event on Facebook.

“We are marching to mark the high water mark of government & to turn the tide. This will be a non-violent event, unless the government chooses to make it violent. Should we meet physical resistance, we will peacefully turn back, having shown that free people are not welcome in Washington, & returning with the resolve that the politicians, bureaucrats, & enforcers of the federal government will not be welcome in the land of the free.”

It has been reported that the former marine is working with local authorities to ensure everything is peaceful and properly organized. D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier told a local radio station that Kokesh has not filed a permit to perform the Fourth of July march.

“We'll do everything that we can to make sure that everyone understands exactly what the rules of the game are before they march into a jurisdiction in which the actions they are taking may be illegal, and that there are consequences to those actions,” said Lanier.

According to USA Today, a Park Police spokesperson confirmed that U.S. officers would be present because it is federal property and the situation must be monitored.